Several techniques are available to process polymers, including twin screw extruders and batch mixers. Batch mixers provide for increased residence time of polymeric materials, which improves shearing history of the polymeric materials.
Batch mixers, such as a Banbury® mixer, are known in the art of mixing polymeric materials. These batch mixers have several shortcomings, however. For example, in known batch mixers, after blending or mixing of the material is complete, the mixers are opened and the polymeric materials are manually scooped out from the mixer. This is done with the material in a molten state. This process is time consuming, expensive and complicated. When the polymeric material is solidified as a molten chunk, the polymeric material may be put in a crusher to form polymer granules. However, this form of materials cannot be pelletized.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.